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Baseball Passings 2020

G-Fafif Jan 01 2020 07:35 PM

Don Larsen, he of the World Series perfect game, 90.

G-Fafif Jan 01 2020 08:04 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

“The imperfect man pitched a perfect game yesterday.” https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/larsen-plays-perfect-game-world-series-1956-article-1.2382988 And the story behind that lede... Joe Trimble, Dick Young's colleague at the Daily News, is sitting at his typewriter in the press box at Yankee Stadium, staring at a blank piece of paper. An hour ago Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the World Series and now the press room downtown is freaking out—where's Joe Trimble's story? "I'm blank," Joe Trimble says to Dick Young in a cold-sweat panic. "I can't write a word." Dick Young calmly rolls a piece of paper in his own typewriter, types out a sentence, takes out the paper and hands it to Joe Trimble. "The imperfect man pitched a perfect game." Forty-five minutes later, Joe Trimble's story is finished, it's the best story of his career, he wins awards for that story—and Dick Young never says a word. https://thestacks.deadspin.com/dick-youngs-america-the-reactionary-who-changed-spo-862557756

G-Fafif Jan 01 2020 08:48 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Larsen was also the first pitcher to lose four games in a season to the Mets, going 0-4 to the 1964 club, which went 49-109 against all other NL pitchers.

Edgy MD Jan 02 2020 09:18 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

“The imperfect man pitched a perfect game yesterday.” https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/larsen-plays-perfect-game-world-series-1956-article-1.2382988 And the story behind that lede... Joe Trimble, Dick Young's colleague at the Daily News, is sitting at his typewriter in the press box at Yankee Stadium, staring at a blank piece of paper. An hour ago Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the World Series and now the press room downtown is freaking out—where's Joe Trimble's story? "I'm blank," Joe Trimble says to Dick Young in a cold-sweat panic. "I can't write a word." Dick Young calmly rolls a piece of paper in his own typewriter, types out a sentence, takes out the paper and hands it to Joe Trimble. "The imperfect man pitched a perfect game." Forty-five minutes later, Joe Trimble's story is finished, it's the best story of his career, he wins awards for that story—and Dick Young never says a word. https://thestacks.deadspin.com/dick-youngs-america-the-reactionary-who-changed-spo-862557756 The story of Dick Young never fails to fascinate.

G-Fafif Jan 10 2020 06:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Hal Smith, the Pirate catcher whose eighth-inning three run homer in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series set the stage for Bill Mazeroski an inning later, 89.

G-Fafif Jan 17 2020 05:54 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Former Royals owner David Glass, 86.

MFS62 Jan 17 2020 07:35 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=29552 time=1578704580 user_id=55] Hal Smith, the Pirate catcher whose eighth-inning three run homer in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series set the stage for Bill Mazeroski an inning later, 89.

This is Hal Wayne Smith, not to be confused with the other Hal Smith who caught in the majors during the same era. I rooted for this Hal Smith (and all the other Pirates) in that 1960 Series.

RIP

Later

G-Fafif Jan 19 2020 10:06 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

George Nicolau, the arbitrator who ruled MLB owners were colluding to not sign free agents in the 1980s, 94. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/sports/george-nicolau-dead.html

G-Fafif Jan 25 2020 01:25 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

G. Herbert Walker III, 88, son of the Bush connection to the Mets board in the Payson days. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/us/politics/george-herbert-walker-iii-dead.html

stevejrogers Jan 28 2020 08:02 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Accomplished coach, who was last at Orange Coast College, John Altobelli, his wife and daughter perished in the same helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe and Gianni Bryant. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28570865/orange-coast-college-baseball-coach-john-altobelli-helicopter-crash-victims Met connection in that he helped Jeff McNeil back in 2012.

G-Fafif Jan 28 2020 04:58 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Ron Swoboda, Jr., 53. Oof.

G-Fafif Feb 07 2020 04:49 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Gil Conan, postwar outfielder, 97. Was the oldest living New York Giant. Only 16 of them remain. Played 13 games for them in 1955 and 1956.

Edgy MD Feb 07 2020 05:04 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I missed Rocky Jr. How lousy. Big craft beer guy.

MFS62 Feb 08 2020 05:02 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Roger Kahn, who wrote The Boys of Summer - 92. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/obituaries/roger-kahn-who-lifted-sportswriting-with-boys-of-summer-dies-at-92.html?fbclid=IwAR2wnk-ol0JBA3OlChT_lRSHWKCBmZNU22x7Z9n0VJ232u_JoH9UXISepUo Later

kcmets Feb 08 2020 07:56 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

http://www.thecranepool.net/phpBB32/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29175

G-Fafif Feb 13 2020 05:27 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 13 2020 07:10 PM

Luke Gasparre, usher at Shea from beginning to end, then Citi's first decade, 95. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and friendly as all get out.

G-Fafif Feb 13 2020 07:09 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

https://twitter.com/mets/status/1228121947491459073?s=21

Fman99 Feb 13 2020 07:52 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=31675 time=1581640020 user_id=55] Luke Gasparre, usher at Shea from beginning to end, then Citi's first decade, 95. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and friendly as all get out.

Met him at the old and again at the new park. Nice man.



Also, for what it's worth, my own grandfather, after whom my own son is named, also fought at that same battle.

Edgy MD Feb 14 2020 07:17 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Sheesh, you remove a pinstripe for a guy like that.

kcmets Feb 14 2020 08:33 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I think Mr. Gasparre kicked me out of some seats I tried to self-upgrade into at Shea more than once. RIP, Sir!!

Edgy MD Feb 16 2020 02:08 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

The Battle of the Bulge was nothing compared to bouncing young KC back to the cheapies.

G-Fafif Feb 28 2020 12:12 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Johnny Antonelli, ace for the 1954 world champion Giants, 89. The Mets picked him up prior to their first season, but he retired from the grind and returned to his native Rochester. Only 15 New York Giants remain. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2020/02/28/johnny-antonelli-dies-new-york-giants-pitcher-world-series-hero-1954-rochester-ny-businessman/4902150002/

G-Fafif Mar 01 2020 08:27 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Terrible news for the Olerud family. https://twitter.com/jay_horwitzpr/status/1234129345809199109?s=21

G-Fafif Mar 12 2020 02:02 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Ted Cox, 65. Came out of the gate like Mike Vail for the 1977 Red Sox. Part of the trade that brought Dennis Eckersley to Boston from Cleveland the following year.

G-Fafif Mar 26 2020 12:52 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bill Bartholomay, Braves owner who took the franchise from Milwaukee and planted it in Atlanta, 91. https://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/former-braves-owner-bill-bartholomay-who-moved-team-atlanta-dies/B43tnVnOAgQbjNhi3ptEGN/

G-Fafif Mar 26 2020 07:02 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Jimmy Wynn, the Toy Cannon, 78.

Edgy MD Mar 27 2020 06:28 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Terrific player. Drew 100 walks six times. In 1969, he hit 33 homers (with the Astrodome as a home park), walked 148 times, stole 23 bases, and scored 113 runs. Somehow, he finished only 15th (a six-way tie for 15th) in the MVP voting. He didn't even make the All-Star team!

Edgy MD Apr 02 2020 07:31 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Longtime reliever, 1980 All-Star, and White Sox broadcaster Ed Farmer passed away last night at 70. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-A3%2BxXbgL._AC_SY445_.jpg> A cause-of-death hasn't been released, but I know he had been fighting kidney disease in recent years.

MFS62 Apr 02 2020 07:49 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Longtime cyber friend (from FASTBALL.COM my first baseball website) and later personal friend, Jack Miller, 72 lost his fight with cancer on March 30 at his home in Canada. A long time Blue Jays fan, he once admitted to me that Rey Ordonez was the best fielding shortstop he had ever seen. He also tried to convince me to like the DH, and we had some great arguments about it. Gosh, I'll miss ya', Jakester. RIP Later

41Forever Apr 06 2020 01:35 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Tigers legend Al Kaline. A very nice man, active in the community. Jim Kaat talking about facing Kaline on the Baseball Tonight podcast, said Kaline hit him like he knew what pitch was coming. Called him an underrated player. [url]https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2020/04/06/al-kaline-dies-detroit-tigers/505371001/?fbclid=IwAR1rLpoHy6P1Ta9J2l_lvDUIzgAFRaFZESAgVcQhsWbBx7UEwBLUiCJIwi8

G-Fafif Apr 06 2020 02:28 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Al Kaline retired in 1974 and he's probably still the first player I'll think of if you say "Detroit Tigers" to me.

Edgy MD Apr 06 2020 02:53 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Al Kaline never played a day in the minors. I don't know who else can make such a claim. Did Ichiro Suzuki bypass the Japanese minors?

Frayed Knot Apr 06 2020 03:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: Al Kaline never played a day in the minors. I don't know who else can make such a claim. Did Ichiro Suzuki bypass the Japanese minors? Oh there have been others. My first thought was John Olerud but since he played during the era of injury rehab assignments it would depend on how literally one wants to take 'never'. JO went straight to the majors from college and played 16 seasons before getting 10 minor league ABs (12 PA, naturally he walked twice) as he prepared to start his 17th and final season in Boston. Those PA appear to have come at the beginning of the year so either it was an injury rehab left over from the winter or an extended warmup while the BoSox sorted out a roster slot. P.S. Dave Winfield, 22 seasons ... never got a minor league dinner!

Edgy MD Apr 06 2020 03:16 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Yeah, was thinking that even the few guys who went straight to the Show would likely have seen a rehab assignment. But yeah, Winnie qualifies. Robin Yount played a half season in the New York-Penn League at 17.

Frayed Knot Apr 06 2020 03:19 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Now if one wanted to make the case of who else never played minor league OR college ball then it would be a smaller list and you'd probably have to go back to the front half of the 20th century to find candidates. - Kaline made his ML debut in June of 1953 at 18 yrs - 188 days, or presumably just after his HS graduation (no idea if he actually graduated or not). He got only 30 PA that season so I guess he just sat around a lot as there don't seem to be any injury holes in his game log for that year. - By 1954/age-19 season he was a full-time player [535 PA] finishing 3rd in ROY [Bob Grim -- P, NYY; Jim Finigan -- 3B, Philly A's] - By '55/21 he was the batting champ [Three - Fuckin' - Forty] while leading the league in hits [200] and Total Bases [321]. He finished 2nd to Yogi in the MVP vote despite out-OBP'ing him by 72 points [421 to 349] and out-WAR'ing him nearly 2-1 [8.3 - 4.5]. Mantle [9.5] out-WAR'd them both that year but finished 5th [Al Smith, Ted Williams]. - He went on the finish 3rd in the 1956 MVP and racked up nine Top-10's overall although never winning one. Not a bad resume when your career almost perfectly overlaps with the Mantle-era NYY dynasty.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 06 2020 03:32 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: Al Kaline never played a day in the minors. I don't know who else can make such a claim. Did Ichiro Suzuki bypass the Japanese minors? Bob Horner and Jim Abbott. Al Kaline taught me the value of the base on balls. Strat-o-Matic, 1971 set. By the time I was in Junior High,, the walks column would be the first place my eyes went when I scanned the back of some hitter's baseball card. Here's this Posnanski piece on Al Kaline I read last week: https://theathletic.com/1568128/2020/02/05/the-baseball-100-no-51-al-kaline/

Benjamin Grimm Apr 06 2020 03:41 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I remember wondering why his name was printed on batteries.

Edgy MD Apr 06 2020 03:47 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: Al Kaline never played a day in the minors. I don't know who else can make such a claim. Did Ichiro Suzuki bypass the Japanese minors? Bob Horner and Jim Abbott. Al Kaline taught me the value of the base on balls. Strat-o-Matic, 1971 set. By the time I was in Junior High,, the walks column would be the first place my eyes went when I scanned the back of some hitter's baseball card. Here's this Posnanski piece on Al Kaline I read last week: https://theathletic.com/1568128/2020/02/05/the-baseball-100-no-51-al-kaline/ Jeff Burroughs 1978 was my Al Kaline.

Johnny Lunchbucket Apr 06 2020 03:52 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I know some folks in Michigan who named their daughter Kaline

MFS62 Apr 06 2020 06:11 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I remember wondering why his name was printed on batteries. We got it, but were trying to ignore it. Later

Willets Point Apr 06 2020 09:09 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I remember wondering why his name was printed on batteries. We got it, but were trying to ignore it. Later I did pronounce his name as "alkaline" for a long time before I was corrected.

LWFS Apr 07 2020 09:29 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Al Kaline taught me the value of the base on balls. Strat-o-Matic, 1971 set. By the time I was in Junior High,, the walks column would be the first place my eyes went when I scanned the back of some hitter's baseball card. Here's this Posnanski piece on Al Kaline I read last week: https://theathletic.com/1568128/2020/02/05/the-baseball-100-no-51-al-kaline/ Who better to teach you the value of a base than Al Kaline?

G-Fafif Apr 12 2020 11:52 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Glenn Beckert, All-Star second baseman for the Cubs, 79.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 12 2020 12:01 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

It's striking how many of these "Baseball Passings" call to mind images of baseball cards from 1971, 1972, and 1973. (My peak years.) I look at this image and it makes me smell bubble gum: https://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/8665/8665-495775Fr.jpg> You knew he was a good player because he got an IN ACTION card! https://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/72/72-46Fr.jpg>

batmagadanleadoff Apr 12 2020 12:15 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Benjamin Grimm wrote: You knew [Beckert]was a good player because he got an IN ACTION card! https://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/72/72-46Fr.jpg> And you knew Beckert was a good player because he was also on a league leader card! [FIMG=888]https://images.psacard.com/s3/cu-psa/cardfacts/1972-topps-85-nl-batting-leaders-jtorrergarrgbeckert-36047.jpg?h=1000&format=png&s.roundcorners=10[/FIMG]

Johnny Lunchbucket Apr 12 2020 12:24 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Glenn Beckert is famous to me for being on a 1974 card that was NOT hilarously doctored despite his offseason trade--and also looked weird. Padres label, Cubs uni iirc https://www.sportlots.com/invenpics/cardkamp/18918.jpg>

batmagadanleadoff Apr 12 2020 12:28 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Zvon would like this pic of Beckert. It's from when the walls were white. Or toothpasty. [FIMG=666]https://ansel.frgimages.com/chicago-cubs/signed-glenn-beckert-picture-8x10_ss2_p-10934557+u-pdty9cun7825uaynwtzh+v-36fd98bd397c4d68b67797b777306cfb.jpg?_hv=1&w=900[/FIMG]

Johnny Lunchbucket Apr 12 2020 03:30 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

The version I have of the 74 beckert card is even weirder as it lists San Diego as Washington Nat'l Lea.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2020 04:21 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020 Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2020 10:04 AM

Glenn Beckert and Don Kessinger are linked in my mind the way Alan Trammel and Lou Whitaker are for others, probably even more so in my case since it was early in my baseball years and in the NL. Coming up the same year ('65) they were pretty much everyday starters at 2B & SS for the Cubs across nine seasons. And in case you forget how much the role of middle infielders has changed over the years, together they made ten All-Star games between them and garnered MVP votes five different times despite combining for a total of just 36 career HRs. Back when spring training was still in gear I caught a glimpse of Kessinger's grandson playing for Houston -- Grae Kessinger, 2nd round draft pick out of U-Miss 2017

G-Fafif Apr 14 2020 08:52 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Hank Steinbrenner, 63, brother of Hal. Had been ill a while; reportedly unrelated to COVID-19.

Frayed Knot Apr 14 2020 10:05 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=35135 time=1586875969 user_id=55] Hank Steinbrenner, 63, brother of Hal. Had been ill a while; reportedly unrelated to COVID-19.

Hadn't heard that he had been ill.

Was the oldest of the four Steinbrenner kids.

Also a heavy smoker.

How often do you suppose he got called Hank'nStein as a kid?

G-Fafif Apr 15 2020 12:06 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Damaso Garcia, 63, backup infielder of yore. Came up with the 1978 MFYs, traded to Jays, played through the eighties.

Chad ochoseis Apr 15 2020 02:47 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=35207 time=1586974016 user_id=55] Damaso Garcia, 63, backup infielder of yore. Came up with the 1978 MFYs, traded to Jays, played through the eighties.

From the NY Post article:

[BLOCKQUOTE]After finishing his career with the Expos in 1989, Garcia was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was told he may have only six months to live. He underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and encountered speech and mobility issues, but later ran a baseball camp in the Dominican Republic serving children suffering from hemophilia, a disorder affecting his son.[/BLOCKQUOTE]

G-Fafif Apr 18 2020 08:30 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bobby Winkles, legendary Arizona State coach who went on to manage Angels and A's, 90. One of his Sun Devils was Gary Gentry.

Edgy MD Apr 18 2020 02:17 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Duffy Dyer and Lenny Randle too, I think.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 18 2020 06:22 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

It was ASU coach Bobby Winkles who told his superstar, Reggie Jackson, considered by many to be the best draft eligible amateur in the nation, that the Mets wouldn't use their overall #1 draft pick on Jackson because Jackson was black and Mets brass had racist-fueled concerns. This allegation was denied years laer by Bob Scheffing, Mets GM. I don't know what's true and what's not, but Scheffing had a motive to lie and conceal the truth, while Winkles, as far as I know, didn't. The Mets, as youse know, drafted Steve Chilcott with their #1 overall pick in baseball's June 1966 amateur draft. [FIMG=444]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61OslYqIa4L._AC_SL1050_.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=555]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71OgAHxWGfL._AC_SL1000_.jpg[/FIMG]

Edgy MD Apr 18 2020 09:07 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=35367 time=1587255740 user_id=68]This allegation was denied years laer by Bob Scheffing, Mets GM. I don't know what's true and what's not, but Scheffing had a motive to lie and conceal the truth, while Winkles, as far as I know, didn't.

And Jackson had motivations of his own.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 18 2020 09:15 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: =batmagadanleadoff post_id=35367 time=1587255740 user_id=68]This allegation was denied years laer by Bob Scheffing, Mets GM. I don't know what's true and what's not, but Scheffing had a motive to lie and conceal the truth, while Winkles, as far as I know, didn't. And Jackson had motivations of his own.

Perhaps. But Winkles never denied the story.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 18 2020 09:24 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: =batmagadanleadoff post_id=35367 time=1587255740 user_id=68]This allegation was denied years laer by Bob Scheffing, Mets GM. I don't know what's true and what's not, but Scheffing had a motive to lie and conceal the truth, while Winkles, as far as I know, didn't. And Jackson had motivations of his own. Perhaps. But Winkles never denied the story.

But maybe Winkles had an axe to grind, and duped Reggie.

Frayed Knot Apr 18 2020 09:35 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020 Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 19 2020 07:13 AM

I also never know how much of that story to believe. And while Winkles had no motive to lie about it I'm also not sure Winkles ever confirmed this story. Reggie claimed that Winkles told him of NYM disinterest based on issues other than baseball -- and actually I think the story went that Reggie says Winkles said that he was told of this so the story was second-hand at best even if it were all told accurately. What supposedly made the Mets skittish, meaning on top of Reggie already having the double whammy of being both a loudmouth AND black in an era when athletes were expected to take whatever they were given without complaint, was that his college girlfriend was white (actually Mexican). In the parlance of the times, this all added up to Jackson being an 'uppity nigger'. To many that attitude fit the NYM brass at that time or at least it fit a stereotype of the NYM brass. But this is also Reggie we're talking about here, a guy who is only lying when his lips are moving and, as far as I know, HE is the only one who has ever been a source on this story. Maybe it's true, but my guess is that it's at best embellished and quite possibly invented entirely. If so he certainly wouldn't be the first or last athlete to invent a story where he is portrayed as the victim for self-motivation purposes. And then there's the part about how everyone knows what the "correct" draft pick should have been after the fact so side reasons take on an added level of importance because OF COURSE you'd draft Jackson ahead of Chilcott if just basing things on baseball terms. But in the year that Joe Mauer was to be the first overall pick Baseball America ran an article on the relative lack of success with 1st round catchers up to that point. Naturally Chilcott's story was brought up and his case got his own sidebar article. The story went that Whitey Herzog, then in charge of the Mets draft, was torn between Chilcott & Jackson and ultimately went how he went with no mention being made of outside factors or dictations from above. Curious about how other clubs felt, Whitey went around to his [then 19] counterparts to ask who they would have drafted if they had the #1 pick. He claimed that the results of his informal poll was 10 Jackson / 9 Chilcott, making it of course a dead heat with the Mets vote thrown in. It might help to remember that this was just the second ever draft in MLB and I think the notion existed early on that drafting them young (Chilcott was a HS player) was better because it gave the team more time to mold them properly. Years later that attitude would change somewhat but this draft wasn't done years later. Most post-analysis also ignores that it was injuries that drove Chilcott from the game, not failure.

Edgy MD Apr 19 2020 06:47 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I think it was pretty much something like this. Scheffing: He's definitely someone the organization likes a lot. He's awful athletic for a slugger. Winkles: He is. His legs are strong and healthy. Scheffing: Is that his girlfriend he's talking to? Winkles: Yeah, that's her. Name's Juanita. Scheffing: Mmmm. * * * Jackson: Coach, that the Mets guy you were talking to? What was he asking about?

Johnny Lunchbucket Apr 19 2020 09:00 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I tried to look into this some time back and my memory is wobbly, but the sense I got was that nobody was all that invested in the draft, certainly not to the degree they would become. The stories iirc had Casey going out to see Chilcott personally while the club was on road trip in San Francisco. The same wouldn't have been the case with Reggie and it may well have been just that.

Frayed Knot Apr 19 2020 09:21 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Early versions of the MLB draft had them conducted in virtual secrecy (future players often wouldn't know until some time afterward that they had even been drafted much less where and by what team) in part because the pro teams figured that if they drafted a HS kid it would tip off his potential to colleges who may have missed him but still had scholarship slots to fill. This would give the kid an option and therefore bargaining power towards a bigger signing bonus and of course half the purpose of establishing the draft in the first place was to reduce the pre-draft bidding wars which escalated signing bonuses. So, yeah, it certainly wasn't the highly publicized and scrutinized scientific pursuit it is today. And, as in the case of FA-gency (think George Young of the NFL Giants), there was reluctance by some to fully embrace and/or trust this new-fangled way of doing things.

G-Fafif Apr 20 2020 10:39 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Ann Mulvey Branca, widow of Ralph Branca, mother-in-law of Bobby Valentine. Her name often comes up in retelling of the aftermath of the Shot Heard 'Round the World, as Ralph and Ann were preparing to marry after the World Series.

G-Fafif Apr 20 2020 06:53 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bob Oliver, 77, 1B-OF for five teams from 1965-1975 and father of 2006 Met Darren.

ashie62 Apr 20 2020 07:19 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Almost an HOF

Edgy MD Apr 20 2020 10:04 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

You may be thinking of Al. I don't think Bob Oliver is even a Royals Hall-of-Famer. Though he was an original 1969 Royal, and that's not nothing.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 20 2020 11:13 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Part of the CARD CORNER series Written by: Bruce Markusen Excerpt: With the Kansas City Royals newly entrenched as world champions, some 30 years after they last took the title, the timing is especially good to look at my favorite Royals card of all time. There have been a number of interesting Kansas City cards produced over the years, including the 1975 Topps card of Steve Busby (which mistakenly shows backup catcher Fran Healy instead of the young pitching ace), the 1978 card of George Brett (a very cool profile shot of the Hall of Famer sans a cap), the 1982 Fleer card of Dan Quisenberry (who can be seen in a middle of a crowded calisthenics workout), or the 1987 action-packed “Future Stars” card of Bo Jackson. They are all excellent, and all worthy of a more in-depth profile. But my first choice remains the 1972 Topps card of Bob Oliver. First off, the 1972 set is still my favorite, in part because of the bright psychedelic colors that decorated the borders of the cards. Red is not one of the Royals' primary colors, but this set makes you think that it is. Then there is the actual photograph of Oliver, which saturates us in the style of the 1970s and the old school manner of Topps photography. We see Oliver wearing a bright satin windbreaker, as so many players did in Spring Training during that era. (This must have been considered a standard way to sweat off some excess poundage accrued during the winter months.) Oliver is also wearing a helmet while taking his fielding position, in a way that is reminiscent of two of his contemporary first basemen: Dick Allen and George “Boomer” Scott. And then we have the overly exaggerated pose, with Oliver stretching his front leg far for an imaginary throw, as if he were playing in an actual game. This kind of photograph typifies the over-the-top postures that Topps once preferred. Just to add to the fun, the angle of the Topps camera creates the illusion of a first baseman's mitt that is significantly larger than what the rules would allow. Oliver's mitt appears so oversized that it could be used to cook up a pancake; it might have had the length and width of your standard kitchen frying pan. As a final touch, Topps provides us with the backdrop of Spring Training, where so many of their photographs were shot in the early seventies. The presence of bright blue skies and palm trees, not to mention what appears to be some kind of storage shed deep in the background, tell us clearly that this is a Spring Training practice field, far removed from the rigors of the regular season at Royals Stadium. When you're collecting baseball cards during the last vestiges of winter in February and March, there is nothing better than seeing cards that have been photographed in the warmth of Florida. Now that I've established my admiration for this card, it's time to tackle the subject of the card itself; [FIMG=666]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Pxy0MC0OL._AC_SL1366_.jpg[/FIMG] https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/card-corner/king-ollie

Edgy MD Apr 21 2020 12:39 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

While it included some florescent colors, I'd call that design more "neo-Deco" than "psychedelic." The team names look like the giant names of 1920s movie palaces.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 21 2020 01:01 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: I'd call that design more "neo-Deco" than "psychedelic." I like that description.

stevejrogers Apr 23 2020 04:42 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Former Padre catcher, and San Diego cop who was shot in the line of duty, Dan Walters

batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2020 04:49 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Eddie Robinson, born 12/15/1920, is the oldest living one-time major league baseball player. Robinson debuted in 1942. There are no living former major leaguers who played MLB in 1941, or earlier.

G-Fafif Apr 24 2020 03:25 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Robinson was also the Rangers GM who sent the Mets Ron Darling and Walt Terrell for Lee Mazzilli.

Johnny Lunchbucket Apr 24 2020 06:38 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Thanks, Eddie! What a deal for the Mets, even if it wasn't the deal they would have wanted. The Mets tried desperately to find something to do with Mazzilli that spring. With Mookie taking over in center, Foster, Kingman, Staub, Valentine and Jorgensen taking up the corners and first base, Bamberger was talking about using Maz at second base. They needed pitching though. The Blue Jays, Cubs and Rangers all wanted a center fielder. Mets tried for Dave Steib or Jim Clancy from Toronto and struck out; tried to get Lee Smith from the Cubs and failed, and were discussing a 3-way with Texas and Montreal that would get the Mets' Al Oliver for Maz, then Scott Sanderson for Oliver, but the Expos short-circuited that by trading direct with Texas, Oliver for Larry Parrish. The Rangers were shopping because Mickey Rivers was out with an injury. Darling had been a first-round draft pick the previous summer and Terrell led the Texas League in wins in 81. [BLOCKQUOTE]"We have had several conversations with Eddie Robinson of the Rangers, and when it became obvious we could not get a front-line starter, we prosed (sic) the names of Ron Rarling and Walt Terrell. Robinson said no right away. He turned us down a couple times before he agreed tonight to the deal."[/BLOCKQUOTE]

Edgy MD Apr 24 2020 08:40 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

The funny part was that, no only did they get 16 WAR out of Darling, four more out of Terrell, and 30.3 out of HoJo, it wasn't even in exchange for Mazzilli. It was in exchange for the right to hang on to Mazzilli until the Mets needed him again. The real load on that team was Kingman. The Mets would have been a better team with Mazzilli at first, but Kingman had little trade value. And his continued tenure at first helped set up the Hernandez trade, so that was another hidden win there. Plus, the Mets got a future long-time announcer and short-time hitting coach. And don't forget Tim Burke!

G-Fafif Apr 24 2020 09:45 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Steve Dalkowski, the Orioles minor leaguer with the legendary stuff who never pitched in the majors, 80. From complications related to COVID-19.

G-Fafif Apr 24 2020 09:50 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Joe Posnanski profiled Dalkowski last month as part of his Favorite Players series. All 16 big-league teams made a pitch to him. Dalkowski ended up signing with Baltimore after scout Beauty McGowan gave him a $4,000 signing bonus, the largest allowed at the time. Yes, it's true that the other 15 teams probably also offered him the maximum bonus, but I'm not sure how many of the others paid him 12 grand under the table and bought him a new car. Anyway, that's how the story went. Whatever the Orioles paid, they undoubtedly would have paid more. An arm like that comes along once a century — maybe not even that often. “Steve is faster than any pitcher I've ever seen,” former big leaguer Billy DeMars said, “and I played against Bob Feller and Rex Barney.” The pitch was an absurdity. It's not like Dalkowski was some giant. He was a sturdy 5-foot-11, weighed 175 pounds or so, but there was something about his arm action, something about his wrist action, the baseball just jumped to light speed when it left his hand. And he had no earthly idea where it was going. Oh, he had a decent sense of the width of the plate. Of course, he wasn't exactly going to pitch to corners, but in general, his problem was not longitude. He could get somewhat over the plate. But how far over? Well, that was a problem. The Orioles would tell him to aim for the dirt in front of the plate, he'd throw the pitch nine feet over the catcher's head. There was some thought among the Orioles coaches that he simply put too much backspin on the ball and that made it rise beyond his ability to control it. https://theathletic.com/1711134/2020/03/31/favorite-players-steve-dalkowski/?source=user_shared_article

MFS62 Apr 24 2020 10:29 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Most of it was blocked by the Atlantic wanting me to sign up, so I couldn't read all of it. I remember reading he was so fast and so wild that one opposing team forfeited a game because their manager didn't want to risk a player getting hurt by his fastball. RIP. Later

Edgy MD Apr 24 2020 12:24 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I read a lot about him in a book called High Heat. Earl Weaver submitted an intelligence test to all his players. They were minor leaguers, so they didn't have much juice to complain, but a handful got the gumption to march into his office and ask wtf? He'd sit them down and re-assure them. "It's nothing personal. I'm probably not even going to look at the results and I have no intention of sharing them with anybody, but it's not fair to ask one guy to take the test and not everybody." They'd sit there for a moment in confusion and then say, "Oh ... I get it. Dalkowski." I think Dalkowski had his only good minor league period under Weaver. The manager had told the pitcher to not throw anything but fastballs unless he heard Weaver whistle, which was the green light allowing him to mix in breaking balls. He'd only whistle two or three times a game, but the other players could supposedly feel the happiness radiating off of Dalkowski when he heard it.

G-Fafif Apr 24 2020 01:06 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bart Johnson, White Sox pitcher who appeared in every pack of baseball cards in the 1970s, 70. https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2020/4/23/21233802/former-white-sox-pitcher-and-scout-bart-johnson-dies

41Forever Apr 24 2020 01:19 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bart Johnson, White Sox pitcher who appeared in every pack of baseball cards in the 1970s, 70. https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2020/4/23/21233802/former-white-sox-pitcher-and-scout-bart-johnson-dies Oh my goodness, you are right! Every. Single. Pack! https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DQ8AAOSw42JZAm0J/s-l400.jpg>

G-Fafif May 02 2020 10:15 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Matt Keough, A's pitcher in the early '80s, 64.

Edgy MD May 02 2020 10:45 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

A heck of a young pitcher, despite never getting a lot of strikeouts, swallowed whole by the demands of BillyBall. I once saw him throw a 14-inning complete game victory in 1980. I would imagine it's the last time any starter went that long. I'm not sure what I was doing watching an Oakland/Toronto matchup, but I guess it was the national broadcast. Checking now and it seems that WOW, Dave Steib went 12 innings for Toronto also. Toronto's secondbaseman in that game, Dámaso García, sadly appeared in this thread two weeks ago.

Frayed Knot May 03 2020 05:42 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I wonder if Toronto manager Bobby Mattick got raked over the coals for pulling Steib and going to his bullpen too early in that one? Prolly not, neither the internet nor sports talk radio were nearly as mean back in those days. Keough was one of the pitchers that Billy Martin put through the wringer in that same year of 1980. 24 y/o at the time, Keough pitched a mere 250 innings in 32 starts/20 CG, a total which still had him trailing teammates Mike Norris [33 GS; 24 CG; 284 IP] and Rick Langford [33; 28; 290]. Steve McCatty [31; 11; 221] and Brian Kingman [30; 10; 211] (who famously racked up 20 losses that year) rounded out the staff. That's 93 complete games!! No wonder the entire team recorded just 13 Saves. Only three games that year were started from someone other than those starting five who also combined for seven relief appearances and threw a stunning 85.4% of all Oakland innings that season. The A's employed just 15 pitchers over the entire year and only eight of them (the above starters plus relievers Bob Lacey, Jeff Jones, Dave Hamilton) pitched as many as 20 innings. Hamilton, a 32 y/o lefty who was in the final season of a nine-year career, was the only pitcher on the staff over 30. He, plus Lacey and Craig Minetto, started the three games NOT started by the big five. Those were also the only three Oakland games that season started by a lefty. And then the bills came due: - Keough had really just one more effective year as a starter in the truncated season of '81. After that his ERA ballooned (led AL in RA & HR in '82) then kicked around in the bullpen for several seasons. - Langford, 28 y/o at the time, went on to have two more complete seasons but was essentially done at age 30 - Norris, 25, started just 67 more games in his career over parts of three seasons - McCatty, 26, had a terrific 1981 (2nd in CY) but was done as a starter by age 30 and out of the game by 31 - Kingman, 25, made just 35 more starts in MLB and was retired by age 28

Edgy MD May 03 2020 09:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Trying to find out the pitch count for Keough's 14-inning marathon start, I was surprised to find out that it wasn't that unique. Langford, Norris and McCatty each had a 14-inning start of their own, also. Kingman, amazingly, was the only guy to avoid the 14-inning club. While there are no official pitch count records, Norris later reported that he pulled his off with an economical 152 pitches. McCatty said he needed 207.

batmagadanleadoff May 03 2020 10:51 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

[FIMG=777]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7CYAAOSw-vlVlAca/s-l1600.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=777]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/8130iUEciPL._AC_SL1500_.jpg[/FIMG]

Frayed Knot May 04 2020 01:32 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

A handful of other Matt Keough factoids that I hadn't previously known - his father Marty (who survives him) and his uncle Joe (died last year) had 11 and 6 year careers in MLB in the 60s although I don't remember either one of them - though Matt was a RHP, neither the father nor the uncle were pitchers and both threw and hit lefty - Matt managed to snag himself a Playboy model/ZZ Top video girl as a wife, which I'm sure seemed like a good idea at the time - Shockingly a) the marriage didn't last; and b) she went on to become a 'REAL HOUSEWIFE' of somewhere .. probably Orange County - the marriage did last long enough to produce three kids including son Shane who played a couple years of minor league ball but well short of MLB - it also produced a daughter who herself is now residing in 'REAL HOUSEWIFE'-ville somewheres in part due to her marriage to the brother of football star/bust/character Brian Bosworth

Johnny Lunchbucket May 04 2020 03:27 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

What cleat brand is Keough rocking? that's the important thing.

Edgy MD May 04 2020 03:50 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

That might be an early Mizuno logo?

Johnny Lunchbucket May 04 2020 04:26 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I believe you are correct. Here's something from the Mizuno corporate site from 1970s: https://media.mizuno.com/~/media/Images/com/heritage/1972_01_photo_sub.jpg>

G-Fafif May 14 2020 10:38 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bob Watson, top-flight Astro, 73, from kidney disease. Scored baseball's millionth run.

Edgy MD May 15 2020 08:14 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Total baseball lifer. Turned around a wrecked Yankee franchise. Should have stepped in and tossed Roger Clemens in 2000.

MFS62 May 15 2020 09:19 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: Turned around a wrecked Yankee franchise. Nobody's perfect. RIP Later

Frayed Knot May 16 2020 04:50 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Watson became the Yanx GM for the '96 season (replacing Gene Michael who was forever falling in and out of favor w/George) so the franchise was already pretty much turned around at that point. I don't remember if he had been with the organization prior to that or was poached from the outside. He then resigned the GM post in February before the '98 ever got going -- so just two seasons as GM for 'Bull' -- and was replaced by Brian Cashman who has now stunningly been there ever since. Nobody would have bet on THAT way back when. IIRC Watson was against the deal which brought Chuck Knoblauch to the Bronx, specifically it was the inclusion of LHP Eric Milton, a former NYY 1st round draft pick and a top prospect that winter. Watson didn't like that his calls were being overridden and walked away in protest over completion of that deal. Turned out that neither Knoblauch nor Milton were all that their acquiring teams hoped they'd be. The Twins actually got more out of the 'throw-ins' in that deal, Brian Buchanan (also a former NYY 1st rounder) was a role player for them before ending his career with 3 ABs for the 2004 NYM, and especially Christian Guzman who went on to be their starting SS for six seasons. As they always say, prospects can be summed up in one word: Yaneverknow! Another NYY passing: RHP Larry Gowell, 72 Yeah, I never heard of him either, and with good reason as he pitched in just two ML games, both with the 1972 Yanx at the tail end of the season. But those two games produced a couple of odd distinctions: the first was hitting a double in his only ML AB, and the second was having that hit be the final one by a pitcher in the pre-DH era. A handful of AL pitchers have notched hits since on account of their teams losing the DH via double-switches and the like, but Gowell's hit was the final one on the final day of the '72 AL season. From the baseball hotbed of Lewiston, Maine (where he apparently died also), Gowell stayed in the minors through 1975 but never got back to 'The Show'. P.S., his double didn't help matters as he wound up being the losing pitcher in that game, leaving him with a lifetime line of 1-for-1 as a batter but 0-1 as a pitcher. Sucks when the only run you allow in your career (7 IP in total) gives you a losing record. Gowell started that day and went five innings but the Yanx lost 1-Zip

G-Fafif May 18 2020 07:34 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

https://twitter.com/starlingmart/status/1262540633417437193?s=21 I sat next to Mrs. Marte at Citi Field last season. This is a shock.

LWFS May 18 2020 09:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Jesus, that's terrifying. She's, like, 30.

G-Fafif May 25 2020 07:51 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Biff Pocoroba, 1970s Braves catcher and possessor of one of the decade's Top Ten baseball names, 66.

Edgy MD May 25 2020 08:08 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I killed it with the 1978 Braves in Strat-o-Matic, platooning Pocaroba with former Met Joe Nolan and playing Dale Murphy mostly at first.

G-Fafif May 26 2020 07:05 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Drew Shea, grandson of Bill Shea, 54. https://myrye.com/my_weblog/2020/05/in-memory-drew-shea-age-54.html

G-Fafif Jun 10 2020 11:24 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Lonnie Wheeler, co-author to the stars, notably with Mike Piazza on Long Shot. “In his sixties,” according to his obit. https://www.wvxu.org/post/lonnie-wheeler-cincinnati-sportswriter-and-author-has-died#stream/0

G-Fafif Jun 16 2020 10:59 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Mike McCormick, the first National League Cy Young winner (in 1967, when the award was split in two), 81. Was, for years, the youngest-living New York Giant. Suffered from Parkinson's.

MFS62 Jun 16 2020 11:07 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=38794 time=1592326740 user_id=55] Mike McCormick, the first National League Cy Young winner (in 1967, when the award was split in two), 81. Was, for years, the youngest-living New York Giant. Suffered from Parkinson's.

In Jim Brosnan's book The Long Season, he mentioned that McCormick hated pitching in San Francisco when the team moved there because of the jetstream wind that turned fly balls into home runs.

RIP

Later

batmagadanleadoff Jun 16 2020 11:13 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Mike McCormick, the first National League Cy Young winner (in 1967, when the award was split in two).... Good lord, what a dreadfully nenaderthalish vote. McCormick led the NL in Wins in '67, yet finished outside of the top 10 in virtually every other pitching category. RIP https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1967-pitching-leaders.shtml

G-Fafif Jun 25 2020 01:52 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Eddie Kasko, who managed the Red Sox directly after pennant-winner Dick Williams and directly before pennant-winner Darrell Johnson, 88. Four seasons, 1970-1973, all winning records.

MFS62 Jun 25 2020 05:42 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=39300 time=1593071545 user_id=55] Eddie Kasko, who managed the Red Sox directly after pennant-winner Dick Williams and directly before pennant-winner Darrell Johnson, 88. Four seasons, 1970-1973, all winning records.

I remember him more as a player (infielder on the pennant winning Reds of 1961) than as a manager.

RIP

Later

G-Fafif Jun 27 2020 11:57 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Adrian Devine, Braves reliever in the ‘70s, 68, from cancer.

G-Fafif Jul 10 2020 08:10 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Mike Ryan, catcher for the Phils, later a coach of theirs for a long time, 78.

G-Fafif Jul 16 2020 09:46 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Another Phillie family loss: longtime infielder Tony Taylor, 84.

MFS62 Jul 16 2020 10:52 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

=G-Fafif post_id=40588 time=1594914404 user_id=55] Another Phillie family loss: longtime infielder Tony Taylor, 84.

I remember seeing him play when I was a kid and being amazed when I found out he was born in Cuba, because the only other Cuban players I was familiar with at the time had Spanish-sounding last names - Minnie Minoso, Camilo Pascual and Pedro Ramos.



Later

G-Fafif Jul 17 2020 05:46 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

The UMPIRE Rick Reed — not the pitcher — 70. https://www.closecallsports.com/2020/07/former-umpire-rick-reed-dies-at-age-of.html

G-Fafif Jul 22 2020 09:19 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bob Sebra, Expos pitcher, 58, from organ problems. Bob dealt the 1986 Mets their final regular-season loss, a complete game 1-0 two-hitter in which Mitch Webster tripled in the first inning and scored on a groundout. The Mets were 103-54, but I was semi-convinced they weren't going to score at all in the postseason after this game and the previous weekend in Pittsburgh (they swept but hit tepidly). Though they won their final five, I saw Sebra as a harbinger of Mike Scott and Bruce Hurst. Earlier in September, Sebra beat Ojeda in a rare bad Bobby O outing, which turned out to be the last game I ever went to with my parents. Given that we were 19 or so games in front, it was the least bothersome 9-1 loss on record.

G-Fafif Jul 29 2020 12:16 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

John McNamara, manager of the 1986 AL champion Red Sox, 88.

G-Fafif Aug 06 2020 02:58 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Horace Clarke, flagship player of the oft-referenced “Horace Clarke Yankees,” 81.

Frayed Knot Aug 06 2020 04:11 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 07 2020 12:42 PM

Ahh yes, the "Horace Clarke Yankees". From the inception of WFAN in the mid/late '80s through the early parts of their 1990's WS run, YLDB's saying that they were fans "from back in the Horace Clarke days" was their version of claiming to be a 'long suffering' MFY fan and/or a badge of honor to differentiate themselves from the mid-'90s bandwagon jumpers.. I often wondered how HC felt about being tagged as the poster child for the only era in the memories of many fans when the team sukked.

Edgy MD Aug 06 2020 07:39 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Better than Sandy Alomar, who replaced him at second after the Steinbrenner era began.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 06 2020 08:20 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/8664/8664-494645Fr.jpg> https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/8664/8664-494645Bk.jpg>

Edgy MD Aug 07 2020 07:05 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

That Horace Clarke mask looks kinda creepy.

G-Fafif Aug 09 2020 06:41 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Bert Thiel, 94, who was half of the remaining living former Boston Braves. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickdiunte/2020/08/02/bert-thiel-one-of-two-remaining-boston-braves-dies-at-94/#578af6943268 Del Crandall is the last of the New England Mohicans, so to speak.

G-Fafif Aug 12 2020 08:04 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Carroll Hardy, who pinch-hit for Ted Williams (which nobody else did), 87. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/sports/baseball/carroll-hardy-dead.html

G-Fafif Sep 28 2020 01:19 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Jay Johnstone, dependable fourth outfielder and staple of “characters of the game” features in his day, 75.

Johnny Lunchbucket Sep 28 2020 02:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Oh wow. He was a TWiB-era laugh-reel highlight superstar

Edgy MD Sep 28 2020 02:06 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Jay Johnstone lives (lived) in the same room as Rick Monday in my head. Longtime white outfielders/former Dodgers who were good enough to start for a bad team and valuable part-timers for good teams. Both better known a characters than as sluggers.

G-Fafif Oct 02 2020 10:54 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Lou Johnson, 1965 world champion Dodger outfielder, 86.

Edgy MD Oct 03 2020 11:31 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Who had the lesser offense? The 1965 Dodgers or the 1988 Dodgers?

G-Fafif Oct 03 2020 04:50 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Johnson's teammate, reliever Ron Perranoski, 84. One of the first of the firemen to excel as the save rule was being institutionalized.

Chad ochoseis Oct 03 2020 04:58 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Edgy MD wrote: Jay Johnstone lives (lived) in the same room as Rick Monday in my head. Longtime white outfielders/former Dodgers who were good enough to start for a bad team and valuable part-timers for good teams. Both better known as characters than as sluggers. Fun fact that I found out as I went down this rabbit hole is that they were both born on the same day, November 20, 1945.

Edgy MD Oct 03 2020 09:56 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Monday and Johnstone also both knew how to make gold. [url]https://nypost.com/2020/10/09/whitey-ford-yankees-hall-of-famer-dead-at-91/amp/

G-Fafif Oct 09 2020 02:33 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Kim Batiste of the 1993 NL champion Phillies, too young at 52, from complications after kidney surgery. https://fusion.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-kim-batiste-died-1993-national-league-champions-obituary-20201008.html

Edgy MD Oct 12 2020 07:09 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

I hear you, Wally. [TWEET]https://twitter.com/Wally_Backman6/status/1315493490227179521[/TWEET]

G-Fafif Oct 18 2020 01:58 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Sid Hartman, Minneapolis sportswriting legend, 100. Held BBWAA card No. 1 in 2020, which means you're the writer who's been working longest. https://www.startribune.com/legendary-columnist-sid-hartman-dies-at-100/572788662/

G-Fafif Oct 20 2020 05:54 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 21 2020 01:02 PM

Umpire Derryl Cousins, 74.

Edgy MD Oct 20 2020 07:18 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Noted for a ridiculous feud in the early 80's with George Steinbrenner that led to George being fined for insinuating that Cousins' integrity was compromised. Steinbrenner hadn't learned much, as this was months after Big George received a big ($50,000?) fine for ripping the work of umpires during a spring training game. A SPRING TRAINING GAME!

G-Fafif Nov 13 2020 10:59 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Foster Castleman, heretofore one of the last surviving New York Giants, 89. https://www.villages-news.com/2020/11/12/foster-ephriam-castleman-jr/

MFS62 Nov 13 2020 11:24 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Foster Castleman, heretofore one of the last surviving New York Giants, 89. https://www.villages-news.com/2020/11/12/foster-ephriam-castleman-jr/ During an era when so many (New York) players had nicknames, Duke, Yogi, Scooter, Skoonj, etc. , I remember that Foster Castleman was always just Foster Castleman. RIP Later

G-Fafif Nov 13 2020 09:28 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

“Of course a ballplayer with a name like this is never going to amount to anything. If you have a name like an orthodontist, you're going to play like an orthodontist. The guy never really had a shot.” From The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book's assessment of Foster Castleman.

Edgy MD Nov 13 2020 10:05 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Foster was a champ at surviving. He outlived three heart surgeries, two knee replacements, and a bout with colon cancer. He was the Jerry Lee Lewis of the Giants.

G-Fafif Nov 16 2020 08:16 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Lindy McDaniel, MFY closer pre-Sparky Lyle and a longtime Cardinal before that, 84, claimed by Covid.

G-Fafif Nov 28 2020 07:40 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Pat Cawley, almost nightly State Farm Agent of the Game on SNY telecasts, 55, from pancreatic cancer. https://www.manganofh.com/obituaries/Patrick-J-Cawley?obId=19099838&fbclid=IwAR1scrfJic2fpGnZpCiATlTv1zpKmFt60KAkRx_bTFaAdCGUxq-9wwc_xIs

Edgy MD Nov 30 2020 02:20 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

This is two+ months old, but I've seen a few scouts paying tribute to Cardinals scout Charles Peterson on Twitter, a popular scout for St. Louis, and a COVID-19 victim.

G-Fafif Nov 30 2020 06:47 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Non-Met Bob Miller, 94, who was the penultimate surviving 1950 Phillie, making Curt Simmons the last of the Whiz Kids. https://ripbaseball.com/2020/11/30/obituary-bob-miller-1926-2020/?fbclid=IwAR0RtqG4QmyjwWCq9e3oNcT57ImL2Ye1QJnn4J05PBcY_ZCB_9FqO_2AHWg

G-Fafif Dec 08 2020 05:23 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Roger Moret, the nifty lefty for the Red Sox of the ‘70s, 71, from cancer.

batmagadanleadoff Dec 08 2020 05:37 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Dick ("Richie") ("Don't call me 'Richie'") Allen, seven time all-star, 1972 AL MVP and deserving Hall of Famer, 78. [FIMG=333]https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/chicago-white-sox-dick-allen-june-12-1972-sports-illustrated-cover.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=444]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71aAcR2a8BL._AC_SY679_.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=333]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91QW0RW%2BGEL._AC_SY550_.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=355]https://jasoncards.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/allen_071670_jet.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=444]https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/.image/t_share/MTc2MjgyMTc5NDc3OTA2NjIy/5-sportingnewscover.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=444]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/f70AAOSwc-tY7N3L/s-l400.jpg[/FIMG]

G-Fafif Dec 08 2020 11:46 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Denis Menke, 80, twice an All-Star infielder for the Astros, later, as a result of the Joe Morgan deal, an overlooked cog in the Big Red Machine (started Games Three and Four of the 1973 NLCS at third). As a young Brave, Menke found himself in an unlikely faceoff, so to speak, during the notorious Pier Six Brawl of 1964, an undercard to Ron Hunt scrapping with Ed Bailey at County Stadium. George Vecsey remembered it in 2000: In the confusion, the Mets' 73-year-old manager wound up underneath 23-year-old Denis Menke of the Braves, who had this horrible thought: ''Oh, my God, I've killed Casey Stengel.'' He didn't.

G-Fafif Dec 13 2020 11:46 AM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Per MFS's request, Charley Pride is cross-referenced as a Baseball Passing. Charley Pride, pioneering country music superstar and would-be 1963 Met, 86, from COVID-19 complications. As wretched as the Mets were, they weren't so desperate as to be scouting smelters' club teams. Pride sent the clippings about his past baseball success to the general manager, George Weiss, and received no response. But he came up with a gambit: What if he mailed six Louisville Slugger Brooks Robinson–model bats with his name on them to the Mets' camp in [St. Petersburg]? Then the team would be expecting him when he arrived. He bought a one-way ticket from Great Falls, Mont., to Tampa, with connections in Chicago and Atlanta. It was 4 a.m. by the time he made it to the Mets' hotel. He talked the night manager into showing him the guest register, where he found the name of an old Negro leagues buddy, second baseman Sammy Drake. Pride knocked on Drake's door, and the stunned, half-dressed infielder took him in. Pride's big-league dream ended the next day. In fact, he got no further than the team bus. Casey Stengel told Weiss, “We ain't running no damn tryout camp down here. . . . Take him downtown and put him on a bus anywhere he wants to go.” Pride asked for a ticket back home to Montana—with a pit stop in Nashville. https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/03/21/charley-pride-texas-rangers-country-music

G-Fafif Dec 15 2020 10:47 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Billy DeMars, a coach for the Phillies for 13 seasons but I would've guessed 30, 95.

G-Fafif Dec 16 2020 03:22 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Tommy Sandt, ‘70s bench guy and longtime coach, just shy of his 70th birthday.

Johnny Lunchbucket Dec 16 2020 03:27 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

Seemed like he was the Pirates first base coach for like 50 years

G-Fafif Dec 30 2020 05:43 PM Re: Baseball Passings 2020

A little roundup here.